(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Qatar's school regulator has urged parents of Independent school students to ensure they have the first meal of the day at home and do not rely on the school canteen for breakfast.
The head of the school canteens department of the Supreme Education Council (SEC) said parents must prepare breakfast for their children and make sure they have it at home.
"Students must have the first meal of the day, which is the main meal, at home," said Ali Al Rumaihi. "Let food bought from school canteen be secondary."
With obesity being a problem among some children, authorities have developed strict guidelines for school canteens and their contractors and suppliers.
The SEC's school canteens section has specified some 50 food items that can be sold in the canteens of Independent schools and nothing else can be sold that the section hasn't cleared.
And, importantly, the food items are separate for the three levels - primary, preparatory and secondary.
Prices of food products range from QR1 to QR6 depending on items and the school level. Prices are less in a primary school, for example.
Every school has a canteen committee and Al Rumaihi is also a member. The school panel is responsible for making sure the canteen doesn't supply unhealthy and unspecified food to students and conditions are hygienic.
From the next school year which begins on September 6, a new system for school canteens would begin that entails strict monitoring, said Al Rumaihi.
The new system also requires each canteen contractor and suppliers to have commercial licence, venue for food preparation must follow strict health guidelines and canteen workers must have regular health certifications and must wear cap, gloves and uniform.
Conditions for food packaging have also been specified. Contractors and suppliers who fail to comply with guidelines and conditions are liable to be fined and replaced, if needed, Al Rumaihi said.
The SEC, with school canteen committees, plans to raise awareness among students about the importance of having healthy food because the school environment has a significant impact on the development of students' eating habit.
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